Microsoft Corp. has announced that sales of Xbox 360 consoles have passed the 30 million mark globally, with its Xbox LIVE community swelling to more than 20 million active members.

The company says the success of the platform can be measured across the business, with Xbox LIVE now considered the world’s largest global entertainment network.

Increasing consumer desire to connect with friends and extend the life of their favourite games has been the primary driver behind the growth of Xbox LIVE membership and the reason Xbox continues to expand offerings on the platform.

“We’ve always been confident that Xbox 360 offers more entertainment value than any other console on the market, and these latest numbers show that consumers agree,” said Don Mattrick, senior vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “We expect our growth to continue to accelerate. Our news at E3 next week will underscore our commitment to bringing blockbuster entertainment experiences to everyone and to growing the Xbox entertainment brand globally.”

Activity on Xbox LIVE, the industry-leading online gaming and entertainment service surged following the launch of the New Xbox Experience in November 2008. Since that time, the community has recorded a 136 per cent increase in new members, purchases of games, Game Add-ons and more on Xbox LIVE Arcade have increased by 70 per cent.1 Xbox LIVE reaches 26 countries worldwide.